Dick Allen

BTW, did anyone see the write up about the new stadium for the Fire. They have blue seats, and the reason for the blue was supposedly withblue seats, if its not full, it won't look as empty on television. I love blue seats.

According to the media guide, they will be staying at the Westin.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 12, 2006 -> 12:04 PM) Wickman was throwing 96 MPH in the bottom of the 9th inning last night according to ESPN FWIW. The USCF gun had Garcia 89-91 all night. He hit 94 once,and one clocked 106. This same gun had Buerhle at 89-90 most of Saturday. Freddy is not the pitcher he was when he came to the Sox. He used to consistently throw 94. Now when he tries to get a little extra on it, he can't throw a strike. Hopefully, there is no injury, but something is very different.

While angling the seats probably would be nice for the people who sit down the lines, I don't think its too plausible. What is plausible is a new out of town scoreboard, and room to place stats on a board. Its the fantasy baseball era, and while its nice to read this date in Sox history or who the Sox are welcoming in the park that particular game, when a relief pitcher comes in I would like to see his stats. Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't. I also think they should improve the boards down the line which are on the upper deck facade so they include runs, hits and errors for both teams.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jun 11, 2006 -> 11:25 PM) Umm, I was at that Toronto game, too, and he absolutely was rushed. They were rushing to get through the top of the fifth because it was raining incredibly hard. Maybe you weren't watching, but he didn't get "lit up" as much as he couldn't grip well, the hitters couldn't hit well, the field wasn't fit for playing well, and a bad inning was had by all. He was just like tonight. He couldn't throw a strike to save his life. It wasn't raining very hard at the beginning of that inning but he walked a few got behind a few gave up some hits, and it took awhile. That was the game the idiot showed up Iguchi who misplayed a ball because it landed in a puddle. If he just would have thrown strikes the 20 minutes before that, he would have been out of it. That game he wasn't having trouble gripping the ball either. What was his excuse tonight?

I stayed tonight. I left early a couple of weeks ago after Politte started giving up rockets. I couldn't watch anymore, I was getting sick.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jun 11, 2006 -> 11:15 PM) Perhaps the Indians are seeing Freddy tip his pitches? Maybe Freddy was still hungover from his birthday (June 10th 1976.) According to the stats, both his two outings against the blue jays were terrible. In one of the game he was rushing through the 6th inning to get the game in and plays that are made during normal conditions were not being made due to 8 inches of rain being on the ground. Take away Garcia's starts against the Cubs, Twins and Angels, 3 of the weakest offenses, (the Angels were really struggling when the Sox faced them) and what is Garcia's ERA? He wasn't rushed that game vs. Toronto. I happened to be there. He was getting lit up in the 5th. Ozzie left him out there for the win. It almost cost the Sox a win. You have to be concerned about Garcia and Garland. Neither have been that sharp this year. Freddy was on a hot streak for a while, but hasn't won since he beat the Cubs, and has looked bad lately. Garland has been terrible, so terrible that people actually get enthused about a 6 inning 5 ER 3 homerun allowed performance. With the bullpen as weak as it is, the Sox are going to need more out of their starters, although I heard today on ESPN that White Sox starters have pitched the most innings in the major leagues. Its cause for concern. Garcia had 1 or 2 pitches go 94 on the USCF gun today, but most between 89-91. That gun is known to be quick. He also hit 106 on it once.

Pods Iguchi Thome Konerko Dye AJ Crede Cintron Anderson

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Jun 11, 2006 -> 04:21 PM) You just don't throw a SS or 3B platoon man out in CF and expect him to suceed. Ozuna is not good in LF and would probably be worse in CF. He is a good platoon man for the IF though. Pablo is pretty bad in LF, but is he really any worse than Pods? Pods dropped one the other night, and gets removed for Mackowiak quite often. I wouldn't want to see Pods in CF, or Pablo, and would try to have Mack out there as little as possible. Mack in the corners is fine.

What Garland has to realize is the reason is makes so much money, and will never ever have to work a real job is because people are interested. If he's sick of questions comparing this year and last year, then all he has to do is pitch a good game. There is a trade off for guys making all this money. You get grilled by the press. You get bombarded with autograph requests. You are most likely going to get bothered no matter where you go. If its something they don't like, and I wouldn't blame them, they should go find a different profession. Obviously, they like the money and find the other stuff a distraction worth the money they make. I think the White Sox and their fans have a whole lot more to complain about what with Garland going to make $29 million over the next 3 years, and his performance thus far, than Garland has about being asked the same question over and over.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 11, 2006 -> 04:03 PM) He consistently throws strikes out of the bullpen, and with the state of major league bullpens, somebody like that is automatically going to be adequate. A guy like Montero that throws in the low 90's and makes you hit the ball can be more effective than people realize (although with that said, I'm not a huge Montero fan). He is a 9 year minor league guy who hasn't sniffed the majors until this year. To think he will be adequate in the long run is as the mayor says, silly.

QUOTE(SoxAce @ Jun 11, 2006 -> 04:12 PM) I will sit back, relax have my pizza and 2 liter of pop ordered, and only be at home (hopefully) with my little brother for this game. Don't forget to strap it down.

I personally don't think his on field celebration was much. A lot of players do that thing when the cross home plate. He pointed at someone, but that easily could have been a friend or family member. I didn't see what he did in the dugout, but I have no problem with players celebrating in the dugout. White Sox players celebrate in the dugout. Fans asked them to come out and tip their caps. I think Farmio made a bigger deal out of this than what it was.

I really don't think anyone could question the fact that the media has been slanted in the Cubs direction for a long time. I do see things have changed a little bit, of course it took a WS trophy (something hangar18 has btw). While I may not be into the numbers like hangar is, and I really have no idea how accurate he is, I'm sure he'd be the first to tell you his numbers may be slightly off. He is looking at this like a raging Sox fan. The fact remains, the media has not been 50-50 with their coverage over the years even though the Sox have consitantly had better teams. If it was the Cubs who won the WS last year, the White Sox wouldn't be on page 1 of any sports section. The Tribune article last year as the playoffs opened that mentioned the stench of marijuana was ridiculous, and goes to show just how far that media outlet will go to try and protect the popularity of their sister company.This has been going on a long time. In 1993 the Sox were in the playoffs and the sports segment was coming on. I figured there was a playoff game it would be all Sox. The lead story was the Cubs fired their manager. They go through that and then, oh yeah, the playoff game. It is what it is, and will probably always be until people quit filling up the Urinal. Hangar18's watchdog efforts are appreciated by me, and I could understand why others are bothered by them.

All the players were given a list of things that would cause a positive test. He has no excuses. Anyone giving him the benefit of the doubt should do the same with Sosa, with McGwire, Bonds has admitted taking the creame and the clear, but you should then believe him when he says he had no idea it was a performance enhancer. If you have sympathy for Montero, you should really feel sorry for Palmiero who had a sure fire HOF induction more than likely ruined by a postive test which he said couldn't be. Montero's pitched 5 innings in the major leagues and has given up 4 runs. All this giddiness about this bum and cheater will end in a couple of more outings. He was hit pretty hard Friday, and today had to get 1 batter.

It would be a mistake to have Mack play CF more than once or twice a week. The ball will find him.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 10, 2006 -> 07:33 PM) There are at least a couple others on our team that have used roids, but weren't caught. Does it make them better they weren't caught? That's an ignorant comment by you, so congrats!! Anyways, complete vulture style win for Montero, 3 pitches and 1 out, but congrats anyways. I like you better than Polittle, by a lot, already. . He got busted by MLB using steroids, something Bonds, Sosa and McGwire never did, yet its fine to rip them. He cheated, and he sucks. I don't want him around. If anyone on the Sox ever gets caught, no matter who they are, I will feel the same way.

How many more wins does he need to become the winningest pitcher post steroid suspension? Screw steroid boy Montero.

Poor Jon. He signs a 3 year $29 million contract, and the fans expect him to produce. I'm crying for him.

I'd like to see AJ catch Buerhle today. I know Mark threw 8 shutout innings against Cleveland last year on opening day, and the Sox won with AJ catching Buerhle against Cleve. this year's opening night. With the problems Buerhle has had in head to head match-ups with Sabbathia, I'd like Ozzie to switch catchers to see if it helps. It looks like it should clear by gametime, but the weather in downtown Chicago is brutal right now. Its so cold and raining heavily.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 06:46 PM) Cameron actually has a hit more value to SD than you think. Because Petco's such a spacious park, he's real important out there in CF defensively. So having him patrol CF is going to help their defense and pitching a lot. Plus wasn't there always bad blood when we traded him, and he said he never really wanted to come back here or something? I wouldn't worry about bad blood when he was traded. Back in those days, and even now, with a couple exceptions, most players have left the Sox with a sour taste in their mouth. Guys like Ozzie and Cora, and Kittle, and Melton all are associated with the team, and they all left on horrible terms. Besides, I don't think Cameron can block a trade. I don't think SD would trade him though, unless the Sox gave them something useful this season.

Anderson showed tonight why defense is so important in CF. He can't continue to be an automatic out, however. But please don't send him down unless you have a guy who can play CF well. The only way I see that is through a trade.

Pablo is playing 3rd tonight and batting second, as Iguchi gets moved down in the order. Ozzie Jr. isn't going to be happy. He ripped his dad on his radio show for attempting to move Iguchi out of the 2 hole. His view was if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Bernstein is correct IMO. If Montero is going to see the mound in crucial situations, there's trouble ahead. If Mackowiak is going to be your primary CF, there's trouble ahead. If Anderson can't hit his weight, there is trouble ahead. The Sox have a good record, but while everyone was talking about the weakness of schedule Detroit had, they failed to notice the Sox schedule was actually weaker. Not many changes have to be made, but some do. The bullpen needs another arm or 2, maybe 3 if Garland continues his awful performance and BMac goes into the rotation. CF needs to be ironed out. Either Anderson starts hitting or a CF must be acquired. The starting pitching also has to do a little better IMO. Get a CF, and 2 relievers and the Sox should be fine.

QUOTE(Damen @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 02:05 PM) I can't believe people are piling on Garland after last night. The fact is, he pitched pretty damn well but again was a victim of Ozzie giving him a s*** defense. How many times have Garland's blowup innings been aided by Pablo Ozuna or Rob Mackowiak flailing around like idiots in the outfield. Garland relies on defense as much as anyone on our staff, yet for reasons unknown, he continually goes out there with the Ozzie lineup. If Mackowiak wasn't in center last night, people would be praising Garland for starting to turn it around, and putting us back in first place. If Anderson was in CF Rodriquez most likely never would have even attempted to go to second base. On the shot to CF, the horrific throw would not have been made because Rodriguez would not have been trying to score. On the one where Paulie looked a little stunned Guillen was trying to score, Guillen would have been at 1st base not second, so trying to score wouldn't have been an option. The defense was bad, and if Garland got out of the inning before giving up yet another bomb, Mack would have been a goat. Unfortunately Garland did give up another bomb. No additional outs were needed because of the bad defense in that inning. Garland was getting hit hard again. 6.19 ERA 19 homers allowed. You can put whatever spin you want on it, he has been horrible. Since the All Star break last season, he is 9-9 with an ERA in the middle 4's. He's a guy who has been around a long time and has been consistently mediocre his entire career, except for a few month stretch last season.